In 1978 forestry researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI) conducted field tests using a hay baler powered by the hydraulics of a knuckle-boom loader and concluded that baling offers considerable cost and operational advantages as a method of recovering forest residues for either fiber or fuel (1; see the appended Citations).
The VPI researchers then built and tested a prototype in-woods logging residue baler (2-7). Following testing of the VPI prototype baler in the North Western U.S.A. in the early 1980's, several design modifications were suggested for a “second generation” baler (8-9), including the need for a top infeed to allow processing of small size material (See (8) at pp. 29-30).
Various biomass bundlers and balers have been proposed in the patent literature (10). Presently the only commercial systems are a bundler, the John Deere 1490D Energy Wood Harvester (11), and a round baler, the SuperTrak WB55 Biobaler™ (12).
Particularly relevant to the present invention are the open top finger baler disclosures of Risoda Pty. Limited (13).
The present inventors have reported their progress under a federal contract from the USDA CSREES SBIR program to develop better methods to collect and transport woody biomass (14-20). Our goal has been to engineer more efficient recovery and transport of woody biomass to second-generation bioenergy and biofuel plants.